This important and exciting title represents the first authoritative volume focussed on pelagic (open ocean) sharks as a group. Virtually every pelagic shark expert in the world has contributed to this landmark publication which includes the latest data and knowledge on pelagic shark biology, fisheries, management, and conservation. Pelagic sharks face unprecedented levels of exploitation in all the world's oceans through both direct fisheries and by-catch, and effective management for these species is contingent upon solid science and data, which this book brings together for the first time. All those involved in shark biology will need to have a copy of this book.

Table of Contents:
Part 1 Introduction and Overview. 1. Introduction to Sharks of the Open Ocean. 2. Pelagic Elasmobranch Diversity. 3. The Reproductive Biology of Pelagic Elasmobranchs. Part 2 Life History and Status of Pelagic Elasmobranchs. Introduction. 4. The Biology and Ecology of Thresher Sharks (Alopiidae). 5. The Biology and Ecology of the White Shark, Carcharodon carcharias. 6. Case study: White Shark Movements in the North Pacific Pelagic Ecosystem. 7. The Biology and Ecology of the Shortfin Mako Shark, Isurus oxyrinchus. 8. The Biology and Ecology of the Salmon Shark, Lamna ditropis. 9. The Biology and Ecology of the Porbeagle Shark, Lamna nasus. 10. The Biology and Ecology of the Silky Shark, Carcharhinus falciformis. 11. The Biology and Ecology of the Oceanic Whitetip Shark, Carcharhinus longimanus. 12. The Biology and Ecology of the Blue Shark, Prionace glauca. 13. The Biology and Ecology of the Pelagic Stingray, Pteroplatytrygon violacea (Bonaparte, 1832). Part 3 Trends in Catches and Abundance of Pelagic Sharks. Introduction. 14. A Global Overview of Commercial Fisheries for Open Ocean Sharks. 15. Recreational Fishing for Pelagic Sharks Worldwide. 16. Case Study: Blue and Mako Shark Catch Rates in U.S. Atlantic Recreational Fisheries as Potential Indices of Abundance. 17. Catches of Pelagic Sharks by Subsurface Longline Fisheries in the South Atlantic Ocean During the Last Century: A Review of Available Data with Emphasis on Uruguay and Brazil. 18. Case Study: Blue Shark Catch Rate Patterns from the Portuguese Swordfish Longline Fishery in the Azores. 19. Case Study: Trends in Blue Shark Abundance in the Western North Atlantic as Determined by a Fishery-Independent Survey. 20. Case Study: Elasmobranch Bycatch in the Pelagic Longline Fishery off the Southeastern United States, 1992-1997. 21. Pelagic Shark Fisheries in the Indian Ocean. 22. Case Study: The Bycatch of Pelagic Sharks in Australia's Tuna Longline Fisheries. 23. Case Study: Catch and Management of Pelagic Sharks in Hawaii and the U.S. Western Pacific Region. 24. Case Study: Pelagic Shark Fisheries Along the West Coast of Mexico. Part 4 Methods to Improve Understanding of Pelagic Sharks: Demographics, Assessment, and Stock Structure. Introduction. 25. Intrinsic Rates of Increase in Pelagic Elasmobranchs. 26. Shark Productivity and Reproductive Protection, and a Comparison with Teleosts. 27. Comparative Life History and Demography of Pelagic Sharks. 28. Molecular Markers and Genetic Population Structure of Pelagic Sharks. 29. Case Study: Rapid Species Identification of Pelagic Shark Tissues Using Genetic Approaches. 30. Stock Structure of the Blue Shark (Prionace glauca) in the North Atlantic Ocean Based on Tagging Data. 31. Why Are Bayesian Methods Useful for the Stock Assessment of Sharks?. 32. Embracing Movement and Stock Structure for Assessment of Galeorhinus galeus Harvested off Southern Australia. Part 5 Conservation and Management Outlook for Pelagic Sharks. Introduction. 33. Conservation Status of Pelagic Elasmobranchs. 34. Domestic and International Management for Pelagic Sharks. 35. The Rise and Fall (Again) of the Porbeagle Shark Population in the Northwest Atlantic. 36. Methods to Reduce Bycatch Mortality in Longline Fisheries. 37. Data Collection, Research, and Assessment Efforts for Pelagic Sharks by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas. 38. Pelagic Sharks and the FAO International Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks